The Difference Between Hemp and Cannabis : CBD 101
To talk about CBD, and the difference between it and THC, we have to talk about the plant itself. All cannabis plants, hemp included, contain CBD and THC. The cannabis plant (best known for its psychoactive effects and ubiquitous 7-pointed leaf) contains higher levels of THC, which is how people get “high,” in addition to a myriad of other cannabnoids. Hemp on the other hand (a heartier, more, fibrous breed of cannabis, historically used in fabric and body care) is regulated to contain almost no THC (.3 percent at most) but can contain high levels of CBD, ensuring that there’s a multitude of health benefits, and no psychoactive effects.
Hemp was sadly grouped together with psychoactive cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act in the 1970’s, when President Nixon declared a “War on Drugs,” effectively making the growing of either plant entirely illegal in the United States. The importing and selling of hemp-based products continues (hemp CBD-based goodies included) and states like Colorado, Oregon, New York, and Vermont are now beginning to pass laws legalizing the farming of the product on United States soil. Hemp CBD itself is ostensibly legal in all 50 states, though the extent of that legality differs considerably depending on what state you might be talking about. THC, in any form, is illegal to farm, sell or process in all but eight states, though many other states have legalized it for medical purposes.
And though both THC and CBD are found in both plants, their effects on the human body are drastically different! When (tetrahydrocannabinol) THC binds with the receptors of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) it causes the psychoactive effects we’ve come to associate with getting “high.” When CBD binds to the ECS there is no psychoactive reaction, instead the chemical (I like to refer to it as a ‘boy scout molecule’) gets to work providing health benefits such as protecting nerve cells from degeneration, affording pain relief, reducing inflammation, and so on and so forth. Both THC and CBD from the cannabis plant, in states that have made the step towards legalization, can be purchased in dispensaries. Hemp based CBD though, because of its more lenient legal position, can be ordered online anywhere in the United States of America.
With the health benefits, ANTINFLAMATORY properties alone, and lack of psychoactive effects, hemp CBD is a perfect addition to any wellness routine!
